The present invention relates to a packaging strip having a plurality of continuous receiving cavities for receiving electronic components therein. Each of the receiving cavities includes ribs provided along peripheral edges thereof and a stepped land portion provided near a central area thereof. The electronic component is received in the receiving cavity with its peripheral edges rested on the ribs and its central portion rested on the stepped land portion, so that most part of the electronic component is suspended in the receiving cavity and a distance is kept between contacts at a bottom surface of the electronic component and a bottom of the receiving cavity. When the receiving cavities are compressed while the packaging strip is wound into a roll, the land portions arch to elevate the electronic components and thereby protect contacts of the electronic components from damage due to collision with the receiving cavity under pressure.
Taiwan Patent Application No. 86211417 discloses an electronic component carrying strip that is provided with frames having contours generally similar to that of the electronic components to be carried. The frames are slightly raised from a horizontal surface of the carrying strip when the latter is wound around a reel. Moreover, each of the frames is provided near a center thereof with a small spot of adhesive. The electronic component is adhered to the small spot of adhesive and restrained in place by the frame that generally meets the contour of the electronic component.
For an electronic component having contacts formed at a bottom surface thereof in the manner of ball grid array (BGA), the contacts are easily deformed due to any collision with other things. When the electronic components having BGA contacts are carried over the carrying strip disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application No. 86211417, the contacts tend to collide with the carrying strip and become damaged or unusable when the carrying strip is wound into a roll. In other words, the carrying strip for electronic components disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application No. 86211417 does not include any structure to protect the contacts on the electronic components and is therefore not suitable for positioning electronic components, particularly those with BGA contacts.
Another Taiwan Patent Application No. 85217916 discloses a packaging strip provided with boxes into which electronic components are packaged. Each of the boxes has inward beveled top edges to facilitate easy positioning of the electronic components into the boxes and to obtain an enhanced structural strength for the boxes. Again, the disclosure of Taiwan Patent Application No. 85217916 does not include any structure to protect the electronic component having BGA contacts.
It is therefore desirable to develop a packaging strip for electronic components to protect the contacts on the electronic components from damage due to collision with the packaging strip when the latter is being wound.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an electronic components packaging strip capable of protecting electronic components packaged therein from damaged contacts even when the packaging strip is compressed, for example, while being wound into a roll.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component packaging strip that includes means to hold the electronic components to the packaging strip and restrict them from moving.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component packaging strip that includes structurally strengthened locating means for holding the electronic components to the packaging strip, and the locating means are not subject to permanent deformation even the packaging strip has been wound and stretched many times.
To achieve the above and other objects, the electronic component packaging strip of the present invention has a plurality of serially and continuously arranged receiving cavities formed thereon for each receiving an electronic component therein. Each of the receiving cavities is internally provided along peripheral edges with ribs and near a central area with a stepped land portion. The electronic component is received in each receiving cavity with its peripheral edges rested on the ribs and its bottom central area rested on the stepped land portion, so that most part of the electronic component is suspended in the receiving cavity and a distance is kept between BGA contacts provided at a bottom surface of the electronic component and a bottom of the receiving cavity. The stepped land portion provides an upward projected central area serving as a locating means to engage with the bottom central area of the electronic component and thereby restricts the electronic component from moving in the receiving cavity. When the packaging strip is wound into a roll, the land portion arches to elevate the electronic component and protects contacts on the bottom surface of the electronic element from damage due to collision with the bottom of the receiving cavity under pressure. The locating means is provided at a top with grooves arranged in predetermined patterns, so that the entire land portion has an enhanced structural strength.